1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a grip for a parking-brake operating lever, and more particularly to an improvement of a grip of type in which a grip cover is mounted on a part of a circumferential periphery of a tubular-shaped grip main body.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
As a kind of resin-made grip that is to be mounted on a gripped portion of a parking-brake operating lever, there is proposed a grip having (a) a tubular-shaped grip main body which is made of synthetic resin, and which is press-fitted onto the elongated-shaped lever main body from a distal end thereof so as to be integrally mounted on an outer circumferential periphery of the lever main body, and (b) a grip cover which is made of synthetic resin and which has a predetermined length in a longitudinal direction of the grip main body. The grip cover is curved to conform to a contour of an outer circumferential surface of the grip main body, and is integrally mounted on a part of a circumferential periphery of the grip main body. A grip disclosed in Patent Document 1 is an example of such a grip. In Patent Document 1, the gripped portion of the parking-brake operating lever that is disposed in a center console on the side of an operator's seat is held substantially horizontal in a non-operation state of the parking brake, while the tubular-shaped grip main body is integrally mounted on the gripped portion and is covered at its upper surface portion with the grip cover. The provision of the grip cover in addition to the grip main body makes it possible to improve the design (appearance) and also to improve the feeling given to the operator who grips the grip to operate the parking brake. The design nature and the operation feeling can be improved by suitably determining materials and colors of the grip cover and the grip main body.
Patent Document 1: DE 10236129 A1
As a simple technique of attaching the grip cover to the grip main body, there is an arrangement in which an engaging tab projecting from an inner surface of the grip cover (an surface of the grip cover on the side of the grip main body) is inserted through an insertion hole formed in the grip main body. The engaging tab is pressed against an engaging portion provided in the lever main body, and is elastically deformed so as to be brought into unremovable engagement with the engaging portion.
However, it is inevitable that the mount position of the grip main body press-fitted onto the lever main body is variable in the longitudinal direction of the lever main body, so that there is a possibility that the grip cover engaged with the lever main body deviates from a predetermine position relative to the grip main body. There is a case where each of side end edges of the grip cover has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the grip cover, wherein the grip cover is mated with the grip main body such that the side end edges are held in close contact with respective steps of the grip main body extending along the side end edges of the grip cover. In such a case, if the grip cover deviates from the predetermined position relative to the grip main body in the longitudinal direction, there would be formed a gap between each of the side end edges of the grip cover and a corresponding one of the steps of the grip main body, thereby deteriorating the appearance of the grip and the operation feeling given to the operator who grips the grip.
On the other hand, it might be possible to arrange the engaging tab to be engaged with the lever main body with a predetermined amount of play in the longitudinal direction of the lever main body, for allowing the grip cover to be positioned in the predetermined position relative to the grip main body, irrespective of the variation of the mount position of the grip main body. However, if the grip cover is thus attached movably in the longitudinal direction, there is a possibility that the grip cover is moved during an operation to pivot the parking-brake operating lever by gripping the grip, so that there is still risk of deterioration of the appearance and the operation feeling.
The present invention was made in the light of the background art discussed above. It is therefore an object of the invention to make it possible, in an arrangement in which a grip cover can be attached to a lever main body through an engaging tab with “one-touch” operation, to reliably position the grip cover in a predetermined position relative to the grip main body, for thereby improving the design nature and the operation feeling.